CMU Sets 4 Percent Tuition Increase for Entering
Students This Fall; 3 Percent for Current Students

PITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University will raise tuition by 4 percent for new students entering in the fall of 2011. Returning students will experience a 3 percent tuition increase.

The university also will increase its technology fee from $150 to $350 for students in order to support its sophisticated computing and communications network.

For 2011, tuition for entering undergraduate students will be $43,160. Increases for room and board at the Pittsburgh campus were set at a rate of 3.97 percent, with housing costs set at $6,550 and board costs at $4,560, representing increases of $250 and $110, respectively. In sum, the cost of attendance will increase 3.45 percent for continuing students and 4.24 percent for incoming students in Pittsburgh. The university’s board of trustees authorized the new rates at its Feb. 25 meeting.

Carnegie Mellon uses tuition to sustain and grow programs that allow it to compete for outstanding students and faculty. Tuition also supports the expansion of undergraduate education initiatives and the improvement of laboratory facilities. However, tuition falls far short (at around 70 percent) of the total cost of educating a full-time student. As a result, the university engages in active fundraising efforts to build its endowment and to fund student programs, facilities and scholarships. The university annually asks for input from parents and students when considering tuition costs.

Carnegie Mellon offers competitive financial aid packages, and raising money for additional scholarships and student support continues to be a university priority. More than 50 percent of Carnegie Mellon students receive some form of financial aid and some 30 percent of tuition is returned in the form of financial aid.

Landing a spot in Carnegie Mellon’s freshman class remains highly competitive. As of Feb. 1, Carnegie Mellon received a record 16,497 applicants to its Pittsburgh campus for the 2011-2012 school year. The university also has been recognized as a “great school at a great price” in U.S. News & World Report’s College Guide, where it is ranked 23rd. The London Times Higher Education Supplement ranks Carnegie Mellon 20th among global universities. Carnegie Mellon graduates are highly sought-after, as evidenced by a recent Wall Street Journal survey in which recruiters picked Carnegie Mellon as one of the nation’s top 10 best in terms of student preparedness. Recruiters ranked Carnegie Mellon graduates number one in the field of computer science.